Colias philodice
Size:
Wingspan is 1 1/2 - 2 3/8 inches.
Similar Species:
Orange Sulphur
Pink-edged Sulphur (WV mtns. only)
Southern Dogface (rare)
Habitat:
Open areas, meadows, cultivated fields, roadsides and gardens.
Range/Abundance:
Common to abundant in most of the region. Uncommon in the coastal plain
and most of SC except in the western mountains.
Flight Period:
Adults fly from early March until late November in four broods without
a noticeable gap between broods.
Larval Host Plants:
Alfalfa Medicago sativa, White Clover Trifolium repens,
Red Clover Trifolium pratense and
Rabbitfoot Clover Trifolium arvense.
Comments:
Clouded Sulphur is not an easy species to tell apart from Orange
Sulphur at all. It takes lots of close study to see the difference
and once in a while you might still have problems telling them apart.
In early spring they are the most difficult because both species are much greener than later broods when Orange Sulphur is much more orange.
Females often have a white "albino" form see the Comparison Page.
The top photo was taken in Durham Co., NC on March 14, 2002. The second photo was taken in Franklin Co., NC on April 24, 2002. The third photo was taken in Granville Co., NC during April 1999. The bottom photo was taken in Clermont Co., OH on August 28, 2003.
